The ABC network sitcom Home Improvement first aired on September 17, 1991 and ran for eight seasons, through May 1999. During only its second season, the show was renewed for three additional seasons, an unusual decision in the television industry. Based on the stand-up comedy routine of its star, Tim Allen (born Timothy Allen Dick in 1953), Home Improvement initially reflected Allen's love of power tools, cars, and Sears department stores, as well as mirroring his own family situation. Allen portrayed Tim Taylor, the host of cable TV's "Tool Time." His wife, Jill, was portrayed by Patricia Richardson. More than just comedy, though, Home Improvement epitomized the concerns of the largest generation in history, the baby boomers.

The Taylors were a representation of the average American family of the 1990s, and their struggles, although treated with lighthearted humor, reflected the struggles of the show's demographic. In the main, three fundamental...